


Five's Company

by VampireNaomi



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 06:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17156945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampireNaomi/pseuds/VampireNaomi
Summary: Three think they're being clever. One has everything figured out. One needs a nudge in the right direction.





	Five's Company

**Author's Note:**

> This is my entry in the Lupin gift exchange, written for onepandaparfait on Tumblr. I hope you'll like it! Happy holidays!

Jigen’s fingers were numb from cold. He almost dropped his keycard as he pulled it from his pocket. He was wearing gloves, but ones that left his hands fast and nimble enough to draw his gun, and that meant they weren’t very warm. It was doubtful anyone would try to target him so far away in the snowy mountains, but a little bit of paranoia could only be good in the life he led.

The tiny light on the door flashed green to show him his card had been accepted, and he wasted no time getting inside, away from the snow. Winter just wasn’t his thing. Having to wear layers messed with his style, and it seemed that he was always the one in the gang who caught every bug that was going around.

“Hey,” he called out when he closed the door behind him. He put down his bag and the rifle case he’d been lugging along all the way up the mountain and left it to lean against the couch.

It was a damn relief to be somewhere warm after the long trek. He walked straight over to the fire that was crackling in the large fireplace on the other side of the lounge. The heat was blessed on his fingers, but it was being back at the lodge that really warmed him up and made him think it had been worth it to get his old bones frozen solid.

The lodge had been standing in a little nook in the mountains for only a couple of years, but it looked older. Thick logs bearing the wear of time supported the ceiling, the stones in the fireplace were black even though there was fire maybe a couple of times a year, and the furniture and rugs on the floor were older than him. It was all for show to make the place look like it had always been there and was used regularly. Underneath the old wood lay all the modern technology they could ever need. Lupin had once bragged they could capture a satellite from this lodge, and Jigen almost believed him.

The soft sound of footsteps coming down the stairs made him turn to look. As expected, it was Fujiko. She’d told him she’d make sure to arrive early and get a fire going for him to pay him back for the hours he’d spent lying in snow.

“All went well?” she asked, looking at his rifle.

“Yeah, piece of cake.” 

Jigen began to peel off his winter clothes and hung them on the coat rack by the door. He’d brought in enough snow that there were now small puddles leading over the floor to the fireplace. Fujiko was giving him a displeased look, but he pretended that he didn’t notice, even as he tried to remember where they kept the mop.

“What the heck are you wearing?” he asked.

She was covering more than usual - in fact, everything - but the colorful monstrosity that she had on was giving Jigen a headache. He could have dealt with red and green, but there was blue, white, and yellow in the mix, too. He guessed it was supposed to be some kind of a winter scene, but he couldn’t bear to look long enough to be sure.

“Oh, don’t you remember?” Fujiko slid her hands down her sides and posed for him. “This is the sweater Lupin gave me last year. I don’t see you wearing yours.”

“It’s tacky as hell. I can’t believe you kept it.”

“These stars are real diamonds. That makes it okay to be tacky.”

“I wouldn’t wear mine even if it had gold flakes in it. I’ve got some dignity.”

“Oh, come on. I bet you packed it. You’re just waiting for a convenient excuse.”

Jigen flipped a cigarette into his mouth so that he wouldn’t have to answer. He didn’t light it; they’d all promised Goemon they wouldn’t smoke inside the lodge. Jigen almost didn’t see it as a loss. One of the bedrooms had a large balcony with an amazing view of the sky on a clear night. The previous year, he and Lupin had huddled under a blanket and shared a cigarette as they watched the stars. He’d reached an age when he could admit to himself that he liked sentimental crap like that.

“Nobody else here yet?” he asked.

“Just you and me. Lupin called and said he’ll be here soon. He’s done with my errands.”

“What did you make him do?”

Fujiko hid a mischievous smile by lifting the collar of her Christmas sweater up to cover her mouth.

“Pick up some last minute gifts,” she said. “For you and Goemon.”

Jigen rubbed his beard and let out an exasperated sound. “Don’t tell that to Goemon. He’s been thinking about what to get you since July, and he doesn’t even celebrate Christmas. I don’t care, but his heart will be broken if he finds out he’s just an afterthought to you.”

The look Fujiko gave him didn’t have a hint of amusement in it.

“I’m kidding. It was just an excuse to keep Lupin busy,” she said and walked over to the wooden chest that stood by the couch. She opened it, took something out and tossed it at Jigen. It was a brown package with a red bow on top.

“What’s this?” he asked and shook it. Something was rattling inside.

“A little something for you. You can open it if you want.”

“I’ll wait.” Jigen threw the package back to her. He wasn’t sure what to call the feeling he got from knowing that Fujiko had gotten something for him. It didn’t _matter_ since he honestly couldn’t have cared less for exchanging gifts. The whole thing just felt fake. If he wanted to get the others something nice, he didn’t need a special occasion.

And yet, it was… okay. He knew she wasn’t the type to bother just to be polite and she had no reason to butter him up. If she got him something, it was because she wanted to. To think that so much had changed was enough to ease the ache in his back from carrying so much all the way up here.

“You should put that away before Lupin comes in and sees it,” she said and pointed at his rifle.

“I’ll just take it apart and clean it. It’s too big to leave lying around. He’ll poke his nose everywhere and find it. Doubt I’ll need it while we’re up here.”

It wasn’t a good idea to leave the rifle inside the case after he’d brought it in from the cold, so he took it up to one of the bedrooms and began to disassemble it. He’d hear Lupin announce himself when he arrived, and he’d have time to shove everything under the bed. Lupin was too clever for his own good and would figure out the rest in no time if he saw it.

That was one of the problems about having him in his life. Even when the three of them teamed up, they had a hard time taking Lupin by surprise. He acted gullible, but he always knew everything that was going on.

Fujiko joined him some moments later, bringing two mugs of coffee with her. Black for him, milk and sugar for her. She sat down on the floor with him and watched him wipe moisture off the parts of his rifle.

“Did anyone get hurt?” she asked.

“I just made sure they can’t get here. Shot every tire in every car. There’s no way they have enough spares. And even if they did, I bet they’re happy for the excuse not to come chasing us at Christmas. There’s only one man determined enough to do that.”

When he looked up, he caught a glimpse of Fujiko smiling into her coffee.

Many times over the past year or so, he’d found himself wondering if she was really okay with the way things were developing. She’d had Lupin first. If she’d asked, he might have kept his affection for the rest of them under control. Jigen had always known that, and the main reason he’d resented her for so long was the knowledge that she held everyone’s happiness in her hands and could move them like puppets if she felt like it. In his worst moments, he’d been sure she _had_ told Lupin to stay away from him.

He no longer felt the need to ask her about it. The days when he looked at her every word and action as a cover for some scheme were over. Realizing that they could both be happy and had no need to be territorial had been like finally digging out the bullet in an old gunshot wound, long after he’d gotten so used to the ache that not feeling it was a pleasant surprise.

“Helloooo! Anybody here?”

They turned to look at the door in synch when Lupin’s voice reached them from downstairs.

“Shit. Go distract him,” Jigen said and kicked the parts he’d already finished cleaning under the bed and began to hurry up with the rest. He didn’t want to leave the job unfinished as there was no guarantee he was going to get any significant time away from Lupin for as long as they were at the lodge.

At least, not until their plan came to fruition. But the thought of leaving his rifle unattended for hours didn’t sit well with him.

Fujiko took a big gulp of her coffee and got up from the floor.

“He’ll see your boots by the door. I won’t be able to keep him downstairs for long.”

“I’ll be there in a minute. I just need to make sure there’s no moisture left in the barrel.”

“You take better care of that thing than yourself,” Fujiko said.

“I know when to give up on a lost cause.”

“Don’t give me that weary crap.” Fujiko leaned over and poured the rest of her coffee into his so that it was no longer black. “Here, lighten up.”

“And now it’s ruined,” he said, but there was no ire in his words. He took a sip as he heard her walk downstairs, followed by a delighted squeal from Lupin when he saw she was wearing the sweater he’d given her. 

Jigen finished his work with the rifle and shoved everything under the bed, knowing he had to go downstairs before Lupin got so curious about what he was up to that even Fujiko’s arms weren’t enough to hold him. It didn’t really matter if he found out about the rifle, but it would ruin the surprise.

“Hey, Jigen!” Lupin called out.

Jigen stopped in the middle of the staircase to watch the scene below him. Lupin and Fujiko were lying on the couch, he resting his head contently on her chest while lying between her legs. He hadn’t even taken off his winter jacket in his haste of getting to enjoy a moment in her lap.

“You never waste any time,” Jigen said.

“What man would say no when Fujiko offers to warm you up after a long trek in the snow?”

“Depends on the method,” Jigen said. He walked down the rest of the stairs and went to get more coffee. He’d barely made it to the kitchen before Lupin caught up with him and was tugging at his shirt.

“Hey,” Jigen said in warning. He’d only been away from the others for a week because he’d wanted to visit some graves back home before their break in the mountains. Lupin couldn’t have missed him that much, and yet he was always extra clingy whenever anyone went away even for a little while.

“Let me warm up my hands,” Lupin said and pushed them under Jigen’s shirt. The touch of his cold skin was such a surprise that it made him yelp and squirm to get away. He nearly dropped the coffee pot.

“Shit, careful! If this breaks, someone’s going to have to go back down the mountain and get another. And it’s not gonna be me.”

“Your heart’s colder than my hands could ever be,” Lupin said with a dramatic sigh and reached for a mug of his own. He gestured for Jigen to fill it with coffee and wrapped his fingers around it to take in the heat.

“Goemon’s coming, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t he?”

“It’s just that there’s only one way up here from town, and I didn’t see any sign of him. He’s going to be awfully late if he hasn’t even started the climb.”

“You know what he’s like. He probably decided to test himself and take a route with no path.”

“Hope he’s wearing enough layers. It gets damn chilly out there when the sun sets,” Lupin said. Then, a hopeful smile began to play on his lips. “Then again, if he’s frozen solid, he’s going to need someone to warm him up. I call dibs!”

Grumpy words about how he was always too greedy for his own good were on Jigen’s lips, but he held them back by taking a gulp of his coffee. Without Lupin’s needy hands and endless supply of frisky words, the balance they had been able to build amongst themselves wouldn’t have been possible. He was the heart of their group that the rest of them orbited, sometimes taking a long route away from him but always coming back.

Lupin opened the fridge and made an impressed face.

“Look at all this food! It’s like you’re planning to feed an army! Are the four of us going to be able to eat all this?”

“Blame Fujiko. She stocked it,” Jigen said. He pushed the door shut so Lupin wouldn’t be able to keep taking inventory and began to guide him back towards the lounge. “Speaking of her, she’s being awfully quiet. Let’s make sure she’s not up to anything.”

“Like what?”

“Stealing a peek inside the mountain of presents you brought for her.”

“She wouldn’t! Fujiko loves how romantic Christmas is and would never ruin the surprise.”

“Tch, all she loves is getting something nice out of every admirer she has.”

“So, what did you get her?”

“Ooh, I’d like to know that, too!” Fujiko chirped from her spot on the couch. She moved her legs enough to give Jigen space to sit down.

“Who says I got you anything?” 

Lupin and Fujiko exchanged knowing glances that made Jigen want to sulk under his hat for the rest of the evening. Yeah, he’d gotten her something. He’d always gotten her something, even back when he could hardly stand her. It had been half self-preservation, half wanting to feel like an old-fashioned gentleman. Now, it was… Whatever it was, he’d spent more time thinking about what to get her than all the other years combined.

Funny to think that he actually wanted to make her happy these days. When she’d approached him with the plan she’d cooked up for Christmas, he’d felt the final piece click into place. At that moment, he’d been sure all the growing pains and embarrassment and having to swallow his pride had led somewhere good.

“Why don’t we talk about what _you_ got _him_ instead?” he asked and pointed his thumb first at her, then at Lupin. It made all the mirth disappear from her face, and she poked a finger at his side to get him to shut up. 

Lupin, thankfully, remained oblivious and was more interested in worming his way into the gap between them on the couch.

***

“Shit! Dammit!”

There was nobody to hear him, so Zenigata didn’t bother holding back the profanities when his legs sank into the snow and he fell down face first. For a moment, he stayed on the ground, listening to the powerful silence of the mountains around him, and hit his fists against the snow in frustration.

This just wasn’t his day. He couldn’t say he’d been happy to get a calling card from Lupin, stating that he’d steal Christmas in these mountains. True, he didn’t have anything better to do than go after him, but the local officers who’d been assigned to assist him did. The welcome he’d gotten had been icier than the wind that was blowing over the snowy mountains, as if it was his fault that Lupin had chosen this place as his next target.

What the hell was he doing here anyway, Zenigata wondered as he forced himself off the ground and stared grimly at the scenery around him. The sky was decked with thick, gray clouds. Everywhere he looked, it was just snow, snow, snow. And it wasn’t even white. It was getting dark, so his surroundings were becoming shrouded in the same depressing tone of the sky.

Zenigata brushed some snow off his coat and lifted the collar higher to protect his face. There was nothing up here for Lupin to steal. He might have otherwise dismissed the calling card as a joke, but all of his back-up had failed to arrive because someone had shot their tires when they’d been about to leave the previous town. Now it was just him, and with that responsibility weighing on his shoulders, he had no choice but to press on.

Suddenly, he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He whirled around, just in time to see a figure disappear behind one of the snow-clad trees. It was Goemon; that winter kimono could belong to nobody else. The rush of excitement warmed him more than a hot cup of tea ever could, and he didn’t stop to think about how strange it was that he’d just walk in on Goemon like that. The man was usually more careful.

“Goemon!” he called out, half because he couldn’t control himself, and half because giving a man a fair warning was only right. Even before the last syllable left his mouth, he was running and digging into his pockets to find a pair of handcuffs. Their bite would sting in the cold weather, but he’d make sure to deliver Goemon into a warm prison cell as quickly as possible. If he didn’t put up too much of a fight, he’d even have hot tea brought to him.

As expected, Goemon was fast even in the thick snow. But he had nowhere to hide, and nobody could beat Zenigata in sheer determination. Though he stumbled and felt like he was barely advancing, he never lost sight of his target and was even gaining up on him.

“Give it up! You can’t get away! And then you’ll tell me where Lupin is!”

Goemon paused to throw a glance at him over his shoulder. There was too much distance between them for Zenigata to tell what kind of a look he had on his face, but he could hear his voice clearly, carried by the wind.

“A fool is the woodpecker that doesn’t realize it’s about to sink its beak into a hornet’s nest.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Zenigata decided that this wasn’t the time to ponder Goemon’s musings but to keep marching on to close the distance between them. To his confusion, Goemon didn’t move from his spot. He only turned around to face him. Zenigata reached him in no time and grabbed him by the collar of his kimono. He couldn’t stop the triumphant grin on his face.

“Got you! What do you have to say to that?”

Goemon placed his hands on top of Zenigata’s, as if to pull them away, but then just let them rest there.

“You have no right to lay a hand on me here.”

“What are you talking about? Your criminal record is miles long!”

Goemon’s head moved to look at something behind Zenigata’s back. Against his better judgment, Zenigata turned to look as well. There was something half-way buried in snow. It was a border marker bearing the coat of arms of the neighboring duchy, barely big enough to be mentioned on any maps.

“Perhaps you didn’t know, but the rest of this mountain is territory of Zcania. Fujiko is good friends with the Duke, so he has graciously granted us amnesty for as long as we don’t break any laws here. As they aren’t a member state of the ICPO, you have no power to arrest me here without causing an incident.”

Zenigata’s head snapped back, and he stared at Goemon’s face, looking for the slightest sign of ridicule. Had it been Lupin he was holding, there would have been an apologetic smile that’d worm right under his skin. But Goemon was entirely serious, and he couldn’t sense any smugness from him. He was just stating the facts.

And yet…

“You led me on,” Zenigata said. “You stopped as soon as you crossed the border.”

 _That_ made the line of Goemon’s mouth twitch. So he could smile. It wasn’t often that Zenigata saw that, but he had no time to stop to think about the sudden, juvenile feeling he was getting from the other.

“And that was your mistake! The border is right there! I’ll just drag you back on the other side!”

Goemon let out a surprised sound when Zenigata yanked at his collar and began pulling him back down the mountain. He was quick to start struggling, but anyone would have found it hard to put up a fight against Zenigata’s brute strength, not to mention his black belt in judo.

“That’s not fair!” Goemon complained. The outrage on his face, like he hadn’t seen this turn of events coming even in his wildest dreams, made Zenigata’s grin widen.

Suddenly, Goemon stopped fighting. Instead, he _pushed_ , and the abrupt lack of resistance made Zenigata stumble backwards. He never let go of Goemon’s collar, so they tumbled down the mountain path and landed uncomfortably on top of each other, Zenigata on his back in the snow and Goemon sitting on his thighs.

And sadly, they were still on the Zcanian side of the border. If Zenigata reached out with his hands, his fingers might just about reach the other side. They were so close, and yet it wasn’t enough. 

Wasn’t that how his attempts to arrest Lupin and the others always went?

Goemon’s kimono had become rumpled in their struggle, but he didn’t seem to be in any haste to straighten it. He was leaning slightly forwards so that his hair was falling on his face. For the first time since finding him, Zenigata wondered just what was going on. It wasn’t typical for Goemon to play with his enemies.

“Get up,” he said. “I need to make some phone calls to override this ridiculous amnesty. I don’t care what I have to do. If I find any of you on this mountain after that -”

“I’m no outlaw on this side of the border.”

“Yeah, yeah, you made that clear. No need to rub it in.”

Goemon frowned in clear annoyance.

“I’m no outlaw here. It shouldn’t therefore matter that you’re an inspector. Can’t we just face each other as men?”

Zenigata wanted to laugh, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t force the sound out. He’d often found himself thinking like that, on nights after failed arrests when all he had for company was the taste of failure that he tried to wash down with cheap booze and cigarettes. But also on nights when he’d seen Lupin and his friends ride into the sunset together after making the world a better place by helping some poor soul who’d gotten tangled up in their heist.

Just what would his life be like if he wasn’t bound by his honor and duty to chase after them? If he could be with them and talk to them like a normal person? His job gave him a purpose in life, but at times it was like fate was playing a cruel game with him. He’d given up everything for the pursuit. Lupin and the others weren’t the only people he cared about, but they were the only ones he knew he’d see again when they parted. Underneath the grime of their lifestyle, they were good people. Had things been different, had Lupin not been a master thief, perhaps he wouldn’t be so familiar with the feeling of watching them and craving for something he didn’t have the guts to give a name to.

“I can’t,” he said in a thick voice. “If I can’t arrest you, I have no business with you.”

“Not even with Lupin?” Goemon asked, and Zenigata could have sworn there was sadness in his voice.

“Of course not! I’m a cop! Why would I -”

Suddenly, Goemon’s hands were clutching the front of Zenigata’s coat. “You have to come with me! Otherwise, everything is ruined.”

“What?” 

“It’s…” Goemon stopped to think, like he hadn’t considered that things might come to this. “It’s something important. I can’t tell you what. I’ll take you in by force if I have to!”

“That’s my line!” Zenigata snapped, but then he turned Goemon’s words over in his head. Kidnapping was a crime. If Goemon went through with it and abducted an officer of the ICPO, he just might be able to make a big enough of a deal out of it to get rid of the amnesty protecting him and the others.

It was worth a try. It was definitely better than going back down the mountain, cold and disappointed and only an empty hotel room waiting for him.

Goemon pushed back the hem of his kimono to show him the wooden sheath of his blade.

“I insist you come with me.”

At the bare minimum, that was intimidation, Zenigata thought gleefully.

“Alright, fine. Just don’t hurt me, please.”

Goemon looked very satisfied with himself as he stood up and began to straighten his clothes. Zenigata wanted to shake his head. For an internationally renowned thief and an assassin, he was extremely gullible.

The way up was completely snowed in, and as Goemon made him walk first, Zenigata kept struggling in the snow and almost lost his footing a couple of times. In hindsight, the shoes he was wearing weren’t the best for this type of adventure, but he’d been too eager to come after Lupin to think about it beforehand.

“We’re almost there,” Goemon said.

Zenigata tried to see something in the darkening evening, but all he saw was more snow, rocks, and the mountain towering over them. If they kept going, they’d soon have to start climbing in earnest. Zenigata doubted they’d go that far, but this was Goemon. To him, dragging himself to the top of the mountain until his fingers bled was probably like a stroll in the park.

But then they started going around the mountain, and he soon understood what Goemon had meant. Partly hidden by large boulders, there was a lodge. The windows were bright with inviting light that made him realize how he was frozen to the bone.

“Is this the Duke’s place?” he asked. Maybe Lupin and the others were allowed to stay every once in a while. Or maybe they were renting it.

“No. It’s ours.”

“Huh.” Zenigata tried to remember if the others had actually owned any of their hideouts before this. The places where they stayed were usually rented under fake identities and abandoned once a new adventure - no, no, no, a new _crime_ ; he couldn’t let himself be swept up in this romantic atmosphere - was to begin. If they actually owned this place, why would they let him know about it? It wouldn’t be safe ever again.

“Then why am I here?” he asked.

“As a guest.”

Goemon went to open the door with a keycard but didn’t step in. Zenigata got the feeling that he wanted him to do so first, but it was as if his feet had frozen solid and he couldn’t move. He didn’t even know what was making him so nervous. This was the perfect chance to collect evidence and appeal the amnesty right away, then arrest the whole lot.

“Heeey, Goemon! What’re you keeping the door open for? It’ll get cold!”

The silhouette of a man appeared at the doorway, surrounded by the light coming from inside. This should have been the moment when Zenigata pulled his handcuffs from his pocket and put them on Lupin, but all he did was stare. Lupin was holding a mug of something and had switched his usual jacket for a knitted sweater that looked like the person who’d made it hadn’t been able to decide if it was meant to be green, red, pink or blue. He had fluffy reindeer horns attached to his head.

Zenigata hadn’t thought Lupin would look so relaxed and festive. It was as if he’d called off the game of cat and mouse because he wanted a break. And sure, it was Christmas, but it hadn’t even crossed Zenigata’s mind to request time off. Had it not been for the advance notice that had brought him here, he would have offered to take over a colleague’s paperwork so she could spend more time with her family.

But Lupin was clearly all about having a break. He wondered if the calling card had been a joke. Lupin wasn’t in the middle of stealing anything, and marching here in determination when it was clear he was just having fun with his gang made Zenigata feel like he’d showed up at a party he wasn’t invited to.

“Oh! Pops! What a surprise!” Lupin turned to look at Goemon with comically round, exaggerated eyes. “Where on earth did you ever find him?”

“We ran into each other by pure chance, and I invited him.”

That was one way of putting it, Zenigata thought. He wanted to protest, but before he had the chance, Lupin had come down from the porch and caught his arm. He dragged him inside and made him stand in the middle of the brightly colored lounge, surrounded by so much tinsel and electric lights that he thought he might go blind.

“Look who decided to join us! It’s Pops!” Lupin announced.

“We aren’t blind,” Jigen said from the couch. He wasn’t wearing anything bizarre, Zenigata was glad to notice, but he’d taken off his jacket and tie which made him look more informal than the others combined - even though Fujiko was wearing a sweater that matched Lupin’s in gaudiness.

“Well, isn’t this unexpected!” Fujiko said.

“What are you people plotting in here?” Zenigata asked. Lupin had sent that notice. There had to be something going on. Maybe they were just trying to make him careless. It wouldn’t be the first time he walked right into a trap just because someone was nice to him.

“I have a long list of all the things I expect to get this Christmas,” Lupin said. “But the first thing we’re going to get is you out of that coat! Now that you’ve made the trip here, you’ve got to stay for -”

Zenigata took an instinctive step away from Lupin when he made a move to grab his coat.

“I didn’t come here to celebrate anything with you!” he blurted out, all thoughts of his earlier plan of playing along and collecting evidence abandoned. He couldn’t do that. Tricking Lupin was satisfying when he managed to do it, but he didn’t want it to be through fake camaraderie. His sense of honor didn’t allow that.

He pointed an accusing finger at Lupin. “And like you’d get anything for Christmas! You’ve been bad every day of the year!”

“Guys, I think Pops still believes in Santa,” Lupin whispered to the others.

Zenigata glanced at the door to see if Goemon was still standing there. Maybe he’d make a run for it. He’d just have to return to town and get in touch with his superiors about the situation. The only way to get up to this lodge was the path he and Goemon had taken, and that meant Lupin and the others would have to cross the border on their way back. He’d arrest them then for sure.

“Lupin, why don’t we take care of some things in the kitchen?” Fujiko suggested and began to push him out of the room. He didn’t put up a fight, but he questioned her the whole time, shooting confused glances over his shoulder at Zenigata.

With Lupin away from his immediate presence, Zenigata felt it was a little easier to breathe.

“I’m going to change into something more suitable,” Goemon said and went upstairs.

Now it was just him and Jigen. Had it ever been just the two of them, Zenigata wondered and couldn’t decide if this development meant he should feel even more nervous. He knew he wouldn’t get a bullet to the back should he run out, but that was barely a start.

“Lupin’s a handful, but he’s right about one thing. You’re going to boil alive if you keep that on,” Jigen said.

“I’m not staying long.”

Jigen laughed. The sound was a rumble that made Zenigata feel like his coat was suddenly smothering him. He didn’t think he’d heard Jigen laugh like that before, at least with him. Maybe with Lupin when they were sitting in a holding cell and cracking jokes like they had nothing to worry about.

“Why did you come all the way up here if you’re just going to leave?” Jigen asked. 

“To arrest you, of course!”

“Yeah, about that, didn’t Goemon tell you?”

Zenigata didn’t want to admit that he’d only come here to see what horrible crimes they were plotting. The cozy lounge with its inviting fireplace, decorations and the lovely smells coming from the kitchen made him embarrassed, almost like _he_ was the villain this time.

“Why did he bring me here?” he asked. “If you aren’t trying to steal something, there’s no reason for me to be here.”

Jigen glanced in the direction of the kitchen. He sat up from his relaxed position on the couch and put his feet on the floor. The empty space next to him looked like it was meant for him, Zenigata thought.

“That’s not what we think,” Jigen said. “Look, I’ll just fill you in so that there won’t be any dumb misunderstandings. Lupin’s the kind of guy you just can’t buy presents for. He’s already got everything he wants because he’s a selfish bastard who takes it. But one thing he’s never had is getting to spend time with you without all that thief and cop baggage, so -”

Zenigata opened his mouth to protest, but his brain couldn’t decide if he wanted to ask if Lupin really wanted to spend time with him, or argue that the thief and cop baggage was the backbone of their relationship and without it, there wasn’t any charm left.

“- we decided to make that possible. Lupin has no idea. He thinks it’s just a coincidence. So be a sport and stick around and have a good time because if you don’t, the three of us are going to be left standing here like idiots with nothing to give him.”

“What? I’m Lupin’s Christmas present?”

The grin on Jigen’s face was so wide it showed most of his teeth.

“I’d much rather have him as my present, handcuffed from head to toe,” Zenigata grumbled.

“Well, who knows how the night might turn out,” Jigen said with a shrug. “And just so you know, the three of us don’t mind having you around, either. We wouldn’t have put in all that effort to get you here otherwise.”

“You shot the tires in all the squad cars so my back-up couldn’t get here,” Zenigata said. That had been obvious, but there was one part in the plot that he hadn’t questioned. “Was it Fujiko who sent the advance notice?”

“She’s pretty good at imitating Lupin’s handwriting, huh? Goemon’s job was to show up fashionably late and make sure you made it up here. So even if it’s just this once, can’t you forget about arresting us?”

Of course not, Zenigata wanted to say. If he wasn’t trying to do his job, then what was he? He’d been dedicating all he had to capturing Lupin for so long that there wasn’t much else left. It wasn’t a sad thought. He didn’t regret anything and found great pride in his work. And yet Jigen was telling him to give it up. He probably didn’t even realize how much he was asking. For the others, it might be a fun night, a curiosity they’d recall with laughter the next year. But Zenigata would always see it as a shameful moment of weakness.

Because if he was honest with himself, the thought of spending time with the others wasn’t bad. He enjoyed every second of it when outside circumstances forced them to work together sometimes. But to seek it out himself, wouldn’t that be a betrayal of everything he lived for? And to what end?

“What’s the point? It’s not going to change anything. I don’t really want to sweep my principles under the carpet so that you people can have a little fun.”

“You make it sound like we invited you for a one-night stand,” Jigen said. He rubbed his beard like he was thinking hard about something. “The point… I don’t know why there has to be one. We like you. You’re kind of a pain in the ass, but you’re a decent guy, and we’ve grown pretty fond of you over the years. The only point I need is having a drink together.”

Maybe it was that simple to a criminal who didn’t have to answer to anyone, but Zenigata could think of multiple holes in Jigen’s reasoning. At the same time, he was a little touched. This group of hooligans mattered so much more to him than he could ever let anyone know.

He turned to look at the windows. It had grown dark outside. Trying to make his way down the mountain with no light would be a suicide, and not the honorable kind.

“I guess I don’t have much choice, do I?” he asked and began to unbutton his coat in irritation. He only made it through a few buttons before his hands came to a halt. He couldn’t go through with it. It was like admitting defeat.

Jigen watched him. He got up and began to dig around in his pants pockets.

“Now what?” Zenigata asked.

“I haven’t had a smoke since I got here,” Jigen said and showed him his packet of cigarettes. “Keep the coat on for now. We smoke on the balcony in here.”

Jigen took Zenigata upstairs, to a large balcony that could be accessed through one of the bedrooms. The wooden floor creaked under him at every step.

It was a relief to be back outside. The air was crisp and freezing and made his breath puff as if he was already smoking. This side of the lodge was facing south, so they had a perfect view of the sky and its millions of stars. With no big cities around, it was dark enough for every tiny detail to be visible.

Eyes glued up, Zenigata reached for the cigarette Jigen was offering, not remembering that he had his own in his pocket.

Some of the nervousness and suspicions from earlier fell from Zenigata’s shoulders as he kept watching the sky. If not for the reiling he was clutching with one hand, he was sure his legs would have wavered before the sight. He felt so small. He recalled he’d read once that some of the stars in the sky were already gone by the time their light reached Earth. He didn’t know if it was true and didn’t want to ask so that he wouldn’t look dumb, but there was something soothing about the thought.

In the face of something so difficult for a mortal mind to grasp, could it really be the end of the world if he put his duty aside for one, short moment?

“I can’t remember the last time I saw the stars this clearly,” he said.

“Yeah. Makes even a guy like me a little pensive.”

“What does this make you think?”

“I’m sure you can put two and two together if you read some of the bleaker notes on my file. It’s unbelievable the universe is letting me be as happy as I am these days.”

“Uh… yeah, well...” Zenigata rolled his cigarette around in his fingers, no idea what to say. He didn’t know Jigen well enough for this kind of talk. He should have kept his mouth shut.

“All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t waste your time dillydallying if you can have exactly what you want right now,” Jigen added.

“What makes you think you know what I want?”

“Nothing. But I know what I want.”

“And what’s that?”

Jigen let out an embarrassed laugh, strangely high-pitched for him. “Ehh, it’s kind of sappy. I don’t know if I want to tell you. Maybe you can get it out of me after a few drinks. But that means you’ll have to stick around.”

“Oh, so that’s what the catch is,” Zenigata muttered and put his cigarette back into his mouth. Two lungfuls of smoke later, he’d made up his mind.

***

“Hey, Fujiko, what gives? I want to talk to Pops!” Lupin whined when she pushed him into the kitchen and closed the door.

“That’s exactly what you shouldn’t be doing right now. You’re going to scare him away.”

Lupin burst out laughing. “That’s absurd! He’s never going to leave when I’m here!”

“If he could bring you in, sure. But Ljubomir made sure we can’t be arrested for as long as there’s no record of us breaking the law within these borders. Zenigata hates that kind of thing. He’s going to feel down about it, and you babbling and jumping around him like a puppy is going to rub salt in his wounds.”

Fujiko couldn’t believe that she had to spell this out for him. Lupin was the one who knew and understood Zenigata the best. Then again, he was the exact same when he wanted to get into her pants. All common sense just flew out the window.

“Let Jigen handle him for now,” she went on. “He just might be able to convince him to stay.”

“Why would he stay for Jigen? No, I have to go there and say something to him!” Lupin whirled around and took the first step towards the door, but Fujiko caught his arm and wouldn’t let go.

“Think, Lupin. He’s a proud man. If he gets the feeling that you’re just making fun of him, that’s it. He knows he has no power to act in these mountains. He won’t come back another time if you drive him away.”

She felt the muscles in Lupin’s arm tense.

“Why do you think I’d drive him away?”

“You can be a little overwhelming. Just think back to what happened with Goemon at first.”

“Ah.”

Fujiko let go when she saw Lupin’s shoulders slump. He turned around to look at her with worry in his eyes. The possibility that Zenigata might just leave hadn’t even crossed his mind until now, Fujiko realized. She sighed in exasperation. 

“What am I going to do if he leaves? I can’t force him to stay,” he said.

“Now you get it! All you have to do is wait and give Jigen a chance to warm him up until he realizes that he doesn’t want to go anywhere.”

“You sure he doesn’t?”

Fujiko tapped Lupin’s nose with her finger. “Of course he doesn’t. We’ll just have to make him feel welcome.”

For the first time, she wondered if it had been a good idea to pull this off behind Lupin’s back. They’d wanted to surprise him since nothing ever caught him off guard for longer than a second, and he was all too good at creating nice surprises for them. Just once, she’d wanted to do the same.

It had been fun to plot behind his back and come up with ways to meet up with Goemon and Jigen without Lupin noticing anything. She’d always thought that Lupin was the force that kept their group together and that they’d just drift apart without him, but lately she’d found she liked having the others in her life even when they had no work together.

“I hope he likes mulled wine. I used my grandma’s recipe,” Lupin said. He’d prepared it just before Goemon had arrived and was keeping it warm on the stove. He stuck his nose into the various cupboards in search of a nice glass and poured some into it.

“You want some, too, Fuji-cakes? We could have a toast with everyone.”

“Sure, I’d love to.”

There was a knock on the door, and Goemon poked his head inside, eyes closed.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Of course not! There’s always room for you. Come on, let’s fill a tray with drinks and snacks to help us along until dinner,” Lupin said. He cast a curious glance at Fujiko. “You sure you got the order right? There’s so much of everything.”

“I guess portions in Zcania are bigger than we’re used to,” Fujiko said innocently and went to help Lupin with the mulled wine.

“How are things with Jigen and Pops?” Lupin asked.

“They’re out on the balcony,” Goemon said. “There’s time to block the front door if you want.”

“I hope that won’t be necessary. Here, taste this,” Lupin said and gave Goemon a spoonful of the wine. The other gave it a doubtful glance but did dutifully as he was told.

“It could be a little sweeter.”

“It’s not supposed to be sweet!”

“I’ve got chocolate,” Fujiko offered and pushed a praline at Goemon’s lips until he accepted it.

“I didn’t come here to sample the food,” he complained but didn’t object when she slipped another into his mouth.

“Aww, but it’s convenient. If you like something, then Zenigata is going to like it. You two have the exact same taste,” she said.

“I don’t know, I doubt he’s got such a sweet tooth,” Lupin mused. “He likes his coffee black. That’s a pretty sure sign.”

“I bet it’s just because that way he gets more caffeine. He needs it to keep up with us.”

Lupin raised his brows at her. “You bet? Sure, let’s bet! If Pops likes my mulled wine the way it is, you have to give me twenty kisses!”

“Just twenty? You’re usually greedier.”

“Got to keep my schedule flexible. I plan to kiss everyone.”

“Hmph, no deal then. It’s a win-win for you because I was going to kiss you anyway.”

“Then can I have one right now? To ease my jitters since I’m about to go and see how Jigen and Pops are doing?”

Fujiko didn’t know if he was really nervous or if it was just an excuse, but she kissed him anyway, briefly and softly to make sure she wouldn’t leave a lipstick stain. Depending on how the evening developed, she might not get many chances to be with Lupin. He’d need every moment he could have with Zenigata to make sure this wouldn’t be a one-time thing.

She had talked about it at length with Jigen and Goemon. They had all noticed how obvious it was that Lupin and Zenigata were teetering on the edge of wanting something more, but neither was doing anything about it. Lupin’s crude jokes and flirting just made Zenigata mad. Sometimes it felt like he was sabotaging his own chances on purpose whenever he got too close. And Zenigata would never do anything if the circumstances weren’t just perfect.

So, the three of them had created the perfect scene for them. The rest was up to how Lupin and Zenigata would use it.

***

When Zenigata and Jigen returned to the lounge, everyone else was already there with drinks and snacks. Zenigata noted that even though Goemon had said he’d change his clothes, all it meant in practice was that he’d draped a tacky Christmas sweater over his shoulders like a cape. That left only him and Jigen not wearing one, which made him a little less conscious about the boring brown suit under his coat.

On the way downstairs, he’d searched through his brain to come up with some excuse to explain why he wasn’t leaving, but thankfully he never needed any. Nobody asked for one or commented on how strange it was that he was there. Lupin shoved a glass of hot mulled wine into his hands and told him to take a seat.

After a moment of hesitation, Zenigata decided to sit with Jigen on the couch. Who would have thought that a former hitman would ever be the one to make him feel calmer? He had to be losing it.

He took a sip of his drink, but it was hotter than he’d imagined, and he had to make a quick decision of whether to spit it back into the glass or swallow it right away. He chose the latter and felt it burn all the way down, making him cough.

“Don’t you like it?” Lupin asked.

“I told you it’s too bitter,” Goemon said.

Zenigata put his glass on the table in front of the couch. “No, no, it’s fine. I’ll just let it cool a little.”

“Oh, good. It’s my grandma’s recipe, you know. Genuine French stuff,” Lupin said and went on to talk about childhood holidays spent in the countryside. Zenigata wondered if Lupin was the only one among them who’d celebrated Christmas as a kid. He hadn’t really even acknowledged it until he’d began chasing Lupin around the world. It still meant nothing to him, but it was kind of hard not to get swept up in the spirit if he happened to be in a country where it was a big deal.

They didn’t talk about… work. Lupin had an endless supply of good stories that had nothing to do with crime, and Fujiko had a talent for noticing which details could get everyone involved. When Lupin mentioned a concert he’d once been to - he’d bought the tickets, he was quick to add - Fujiko interrupted him to ask what kind of music Zenigata liked. He was able to stammer that he enjoyed enka and old musicals, but he felt a little less embarrassed when it turned out Goemon liked the former and Jigen the latter.

The food was the best he’d had in a long time. Goemon engaged with him in length about how Japanese food was clearly superior but sometimes it was alright to try something else, only for Jigen to point out how long it had taken for him to stop throwing tantrums if he couldn’t have what he wanted while abroad. Zenigata took Goemon’s side without thinking - it was hard to be away from home when even the food didn’t taste right.

But maybe the key was that if you weren’t alone, anything tasted good. Whatever spices there were in the meat might have made him frown any other time, but now he just found them curious. It was hard to care about things like that when Jigen poured him good wine and Lupin and Fujiko smiled at him from the other side of the table.

After dinner, Lupin suggested they play cards to pass some time. Jigen took out a bottle of good scotch. Zenigata accepted a third of a glass but said he didn’t want to get drunk. He was already so comfortable around the others that any more and he might let too much show.

“You have no poker face,” Lupin told him half-way into the first round. “If we were playing for money, you’d be dirt poor by the end.”

“Goemon’s no better,” Jigen said.

“What does it matter when Lupin and Fujiko are cheating?” Goemon asked.

“Are you?” Zenigata blurted out. He hadn’t noticed at all, but he should have seen it coming.

“Of course they are,” Jigen said and reached over the table to steal a card from Lupin. “See, he can’t have the ace of diamonds when I’ve already got it.”

“And who says you aren’t the one who’s cheating?” Lupin asked and tried to snatch the card back. Jigen lifted it away from his reach, and Lupin climbed on the table to grab it.

“Wait a minute, I’ve got the ace of diamonds! You’re both cheating!” Zenigata snapped.

Fujiko gave Lupin a push to the butt. “Get off the table! You’re messing up the game.”

Maybe there was more force in the push than she’d meant, or maybe Lupin had drunk a little too much, because the next thing that happened was that he fell face first into Jigen’s lap. There was an annoyed string of profanities - as it turned out, Jigen had spilled his entire drink on himself and gotten his nice dress shirt covered in scotch.

“Get off me,” he growled and pushed Lupin away. He glared down at himself and got up to get changed. “Great. I didn’t bring a lot to wear with me.”

Lupin was still half on the floor, half on the table. He turned over to lie on his back but made no move to get up. It couldn’t be comfortable, and Zenigata knew he’d in bed with a bad back if he tried the same.

“There’s no point in continuing the game,” Goemon said and put his cards down. Zenigata was relieved to see that he didn’t have an ace of diamonds.

“We can just start over when Jigen comes back,” Lupin said. “This time, Pops can cheat, too.”

“I don’t know how to cheat.”

“Oh, wow. Want me to teach you?”

When Jigen came back, he was wearing a tacky Christmas sweater that was clearly part of the same set as everyone else’s. He told Fujiko not to say a damn thing when she smiled in triumph.

“It’s starting to look pretty festive in here. Only you’re kind of standing out,” Lupin said to Zenigata.

“Sorry to disappoint. I didn’t think I’d end up attending a Christmas party.”

Lupin’s smile spread from ear to ear, and he finally rolled off the table. “Good thing I did!” With that, he ran upstairs, leaving everyone else exchanging confused looks.

They got their answer when Lupin returned with something wrapped in gold paper. He handed it to Zenigata and told him to open it right away. Zenigata did so and pulled out a sweater that was just as tacky as the others, combining at least four clashing colors and a pattern that made him feel dizzy.

“Lupin! Where did you get that?” Fujiko asked.

“I made it myself, like the others!”

“Yeah, but… How did you know to have it ready? You had no idea Zenigata would be here tonight,” Jigen said.

“Oh? And what makes you think that?” Lupin’s smile was the most self-satisfied thing Zenigata had seen in the world.

Fujiko let out an annoyed sound and took turns glaring at Jigen and Goemon. Her fingers were digging into the armrests of her chair. “Okay, which one of you blabbed and ruined the surprise?”

Goemon raised a hand like a school kid. “I swear it wasn’t me.”

“It must have been you. Anyone can see right through you,” Jigen said.

“Actually, it was Fujiko,” Lupin said.

“What? What did I do?”

“The advance notice you sent to the police was too good. I was going to send one and invite Pops here, too, but I found out someone had beaten me to it. The card was so good that it fooled him, and I knew only one person can manage that. And did you really think I wouldn’t listen to the radio and hear about something as big as an entire police squad being shot off the road? Honestly, it was so obvious what you guys were up to.”

“Ugh,” Fujiko said and slumped in her chair.

Goemon poured her a glass of scotch, which she accepted right away. “Don’t worry, Fujiko. It’s not your fault. Lupin is Lupin.”

Zenigata didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. He lifted the sweater higher so that he could see the whole pattern and hide his face from the others. He was sure he had to be red as a tomato, and maybe his lower lip was quivering, too. The others would laugh if they saw him get this emotional over a damn sweater. 

But it was something that Lupin had made for him, and something that made it clear that he cared about him the way he cared about his gang.

“What do you think?” Lupin asked and poked his head from under the sweater. “I put in a pocket for handcuffs.”

“I… I don’t know what to say. Thank you. But I don’t have anything to give you in return.”

Lupin grinned, then closed the little distance that was between them and placed a quick kiss on Zenigata’s lips. The croak that escaped him had to reveal to the others what had happened even though they couldn’t see it, and he considered burying his face into the sweater for the rest of his stay.

“Got what I wanted,” Lupin whispered.

Then again, Zenigata thought feverishly, if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to have another kiss.


End file.
